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By JOYANNA LOVE/Managing Editor

The Chilton County Board of Education unanimously approved 13 site directors for a new after-school program during a special called board meeting on Aug. 4.

Board members Brad Carter and Lori Patterson were absent.

The program is open to Chilton County Schools students in kindergarten to sixth grade. Sites will be Clanton Elementary, Jemison Elementary, Thorsby High, Isabella High and Verbena High. Maplesville students will take the bus to Isabella’s program, due to lack of staff for a program at Maplesville High.

The program is set to begin on the first day of school, Aug. 11. Parents and guardians can sign their student up for the program starting Aug. 5 at chilton.k12.al.us or their student’s school. The program will be offered 3-6 p.m.

Contracts for site directors were approved at $45 an hour for existing employees that have expressed interest. Some will be working on an as-needed basis; others will have a regular rotation of when they will work, according to Ashlie Harrison, director of teaching and learning, in an interview after the meeting.

These site directors will be selecting their teams from those in the school system that have expressed interest. Approval of teachers for the program is expected at the Aug. 10 meeting of the BOE at 5:30 p.m. at the Central Office.

“Only one site director will be paid per day,” Board President Pam Price said. “An additional site director will be paid if enrollment exceeds 250 at any site.”

Price questioned Superintendent Jason Griffin on why another site director would be needed. He explained that this was the recommendation he and Harrison had developed based on the number of people that would be there. Harrison tried to provide further explanation, but Price cut her off, saying there should be “no outside comments unless you are called upon.”

“These are the same people, Mr. Griffin, that are handling 1,000 students during the day,” Price said.

Griffin explained the site director would also have office work they were responsible for as a part of the program.

The program is being funded with federal ESSER 2 and 3 funding, so it will be free to families for this school year.